Various backpacks exist which can be converted into protective outerwear, yet still retain the characteristics of a carrying bag. Such backpacks appeal mainly to hikers, campers, and other sports enthusiasts who appreciate the convenience of a backpack that can be optionally carried as a backpack only or as a backpack with outerwear, where the outerwear can be folded into a compact package and stored in the backpack with ease.
Such a convertible backpack is advantageous because it enables the user to choose a carrying method that best accommodates the user's needs. For example, carrying a backpack via carrying straps might reduce the amount of interference with the user's movement, whereas carrying a backpack via protective outerwear will protect the user from extreme weather conditions, such as rain or cold.
Convertible carrying bags previously have been designed so that the backpack carrying straps are located on the inside of the wearable outerwear to provide support when the backpack is carried via outerwear.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,165,348 (Daiber) provides a jacket with an attached backpack and support straps attached to the inside of the jacket. The jacket converts into a bag by tucking the sleeves inside the jacket and closing the jacket behind itself and around the backpack, so that the support straps are on the outside of the backpack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,155 (Itoi) provides a convertible backpack having an attached jacket that is folded into a compartment of the backpack. Support straps attached to the inside of the jacket are convertible to backpack carrying straps by drawing them from inside the jacket, through holes in the fabric, to the outside of the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,111 (Lieberman) provides a combination backpack with outerwear that can be extracted from a compartment that extends around the periphery of the backpack. The backpack carrying straps serve as internal support straps when worn as outerwear.
These proposed designs are not advantageous because none provide a convertible backpack that is simple to use, that provide optional use of the backpack carrying straps in a backpack and protective outerwear mode to avoid discomfort, and that conveniently provide a separate compartment for storing the outerwear and for carrying other items. Furthermore, none of the proposed designs provide for quick and automatic conversion between backpack only and backpack and protective outerwear modes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,831 issued to the applicant provides a garment that is converted into a carrying pack by inverting the pack and folding the garment into the pack. That patented invention solved some but not all of the foregoing problems, since it is primarily a convertible garment rather than a convertible backpack. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,831 is incorporated herein by reference.